Pepperdine Saves Its Best Shot For Second Half Waves Top Bulldogs For First Time Since 1993

One week after easily defeating Pepperdine at the Martin Centre, the Gonzaga men’s basketball team was handed a stunning road loss by the Waves 80-65 Friday night in Malibu, Calif.

Pepperdine (5-14, 3-4 West Coast Conference) had lost nine straight games to Gonzaga, dating to January 1993.

The loss dropped GU to 11-8, 4-3, and puts it a three-way tie for second place with Saint Mary’s and San Francisco. Santa Clara leads the WCC with a 5-2 record.

After playing to a 34-34 halftime score, the Waves heated up in the second half, scorching the Bulldogs for 46 points on 72 percent shooting. It was the most points allowed in one half by the Bulldogs this season.

“It was the worst we’ve played since the beginning of the year,” Gonzaga coach Dan Fitzgerald said. “We just broke down in the second half.”

The game was tied three times early in the second half and GU cut the lead to 71-65 on redshirt freshman point guard Matt Santangelo’s jumper late in the game.

The Waves scored the final nine points, allowing them to win by 15, their largest margin of the game.

Santangelo led Gonzaga with 21 points. Lorenzo Rollins added 13.

Bryan Hill scored a career-high 27 points for the Waves, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

Tommie Prince, who was out of action last week when GU beat Pepperdine 72-56 in Spokane, added 15 points for the Waves.

The Bulldogs scored the game’s first seven points, but the Waves rallied for the halftime tie.

The Waves took the lead for good at 43-40 when Khari Hervey made a 3-pointer with 17:04 remaining.

Pepperdine shot 55 percent from the floor; Gonzaga shot 42 percent.

The Bulldogs travel to Loyola Marymount tonight. The 49ers (6-13, 3-4) beat Portland (7-12, 3-4) Friday night 69-60.

Pepperdine 80, Gonzaga 65

Gonzaga (11-8) - Leasure 1-6 0-0 2, Hendrix 4-7 1-4 9, Dench 1-6 1-1 3, Santangelo 8-15 4-4 21, Rollins 4-13 4-4 13, Crider 0-0 0-0 0, Nemeth 0-0 0-0 0, Floyd 0-0 0-0 0, Frahm 2-8 0-0 5, D.Griffin 0-0 0-0 0, Eaton 5-5 2-4 12, Ball 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-60 12-17 65.

Pepperdine (5-14) - Prince 6-9 1-2 15, McDowell 5-11 2-4 12, Hill 9-13 9-10 27, Hervey 1-4 0-0 3, Archie 3-7 4-6 10, Butler 0-0 0-0 0, E.Griffin 0-0 0-0 0, Powell 1-3 0-1 2, Jones 1-2 2-2 4, Johnson 3-4 0-0 7. Totals 29-53 18-25 80.

Halftime-Pepperdine 34, Gonzaga 34. 3-Point goals-Gonzaga 3-11 (Santangelo 1-3, Rollins 1-4, Frahm 1-4), Pepperdine 4-9 (Prince 2-3, Johnson 1-1, Hervey 1-2, Hill 0-1, Archie 0-1, Powell 0-1). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Gonzaga 33 (Hendrix, Eaton 6 each), Pepperdine 33 (McDowell 8). Assists-Gonzaga 10 (Santangelo 5), Pepperdine 15 (Archie 6). Total fouls-Gonzaga 20, Pepperdine 17. A-1,619.

, DataTimes